Thin film electrochemical energy storage device with three-dimensional anodic structure

Abstract

A method for forming a battery from via thin-film deposition processes is disclosed. A mesoporous carbon material is deposited onto a surface of a conductive substrate that has high surface area, conductive micro-structures formed thereon. A porous, dielectric separator layer is then deposited on the layer of mesoporous carbon material to form a half cell of an energy storage device. The mesoporous carbon material is made up of CVD-deposited carbon fullerene “onions” and carbon nano-tubes, and has a high porosity capable of retaining lithium ions in concentrations useful for storing significant quantities of electrical energy. Embodiments of the invention further provide for the formation of an electrode having a high surface area conductive region that is useful in a battery structure. In one configuration the electrode has a high surface area conductive region comprising a porous dendritic structure that can be formed by electroplating, physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, thermal spraying, and/or electroless plating techniques.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An anodic structure for use in an electrochemical device, comprising:
 a substrate having a surface that is conductive; 
 a plurality of conductive microstructures formed on the surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of conductive microstructures comprise columnar projections formed by an electroplating process; 
 a mesoporous carbon layer formed over the conductive microstructures; and 
 an insulative separator layer formed over the mesoporous carbon layer, wherein the plurality of conductive microstructures further comprise dendritic structures and a surface of the mesoporous carbon layer is substantially planar. 
 
     
     
       2. An anodic structure for use in an electrochemical device, comprising:
 a substrate having a surface that is conductive; 
 a plurality of conductive microstructures formed on the surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of conductive microstructures comprise columnar projections formed by an electroplating process; 
 a mesoporous carbon layer formed over the conductive microstructures; and 
 an insulative separator layer formed over the mesoporous carbon layer, wherein the plurality of conductive microstructures further comprise dendritic structures formed by an electroplating process or an electroless plating process. 
 
     
     
       3. The anodic structure of  claim 1 , wherein an average peak to valley variation across the substantially planar surface of the mesoporous carbon layer is characterized as being between about 5% and about 50% the thickness of the plurality of conductive microstructures deposited over the substrate. 
     
     
       4. The anodic structure of  claim 1 , wherein a macroscopic variation in the planarity of the substantially planar surface of the mesoporous carbon layer is characterized as being between about 90% and about 110% of the average thickness of the plurality of conductive microstructures deposited over the conductive surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       5. An anodic structure for use in an electrochemical device, comprising:
 a substrate having a surface that is conductive; 
 a plurality of conductive microstructures formed on the surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of conductive microstructures comprise columnar projections formed by an electroplating process; 
 a mesoporous carbon layer formed over the conductive microstructures; and 
 an insulative separator layer formed over the mesoporous carbon layer, wherein the mesoporous carbon layer comprises carbon fullerene onions interconnected with carbon nano-tubes. 
 
     
     
       6. An anodic structure for use in an electrochemical device, comprising:
 a substrate having a surface that is conductive; 
 a plurality of conductive microstructures formed on the surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of conductive microstructures comprise columnar projections formed by an electroplating process; 
 a mesoporous carbon layer formed over the conductive microstructures; and 
 an insulative separator layer formed over the mesoporous carbon layer, wherein the plurality of conductive microstructures form a layer that has a density that is between about 10% and about 50% of a solid film formed from the same material. 
 
     
     
       7. The anode structure of  claim 6 , wherein the layer is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of copper, tin, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       8. An anodic structure for use in an electrochemical device, comprising:
 a substrate having a surface that is conductive; 
 a plurality of conductive microstructures formed on the surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of conductive microstructures comprise columnar projections formed by an electroplating process; 
 a mesoporous carbon layer formed over the conductive microstructures; and 
 an insulative separator layer formed over the mesoporous carbon layer, wherein the plurality of conductive microstructures further comprise a macro-porous structure that has a plurality of macroscopic pores between about 5 and about 100 microns in size. 
 
     
     
       9. The anode structure of  claim 8 , wherein the conductive microstructure further comprises a dendritic structure formed over the plurality of columnar projections, wherein the dendritic structure has a plurality of meso-pores that are between about 100 nanometers and about 1000 nanometers in size. 
     
     
       10. The anode structure of  claim 9 , wherein the dendritic structure has a plurality of nano-pores that are between about 20 nanometers and about 100 nanometers in size. 
     
     
       11. The anode structure of  claim 8 , wherein the mesoporous carbon layer comprises:
 a first carbon fullerene onion having a first diameter of between about 5 nm and about 50 nm; 
 a first carbon nano-tube connected to the first carbon fullerene onion and having a first length of between about 5 nm and about 50 nm; 
 a second carbon fullerene onion connected to the first carbon nano-tube and having a second diameter of between about 5 nm and about 50 nm; 
 a second carbon nano-tube connected to the second carbon fullerene onion and having a second length of between about 5 nm and about 50 nm; and 
 a third carbon fullerene onion connected to the second carbon nano-tube and having a third diameter of between about 5 nm and about 50 nm. 
 
     
     
       12. The anodic structure of  claim 1 , wherein the insulative separator layer comprises one of a polymer or a mesoporous carbon layer. 
     
     
       13. The anodic structure of  claim 1 , wherein the insulative separator layer comprises a polymerized carbon layer formed by further processing a portion of the mesoporous carbon layer. 
     
     
       14. The anodic structure of  claim 13 , wherein the insulative separator layer further comprises a dielectric layer. 
     
     
       15. The anodic structure of  claim 1 , wherein the mesoporous carbon layer comprises carbon fullerene onions interconnected with carbon nano-tubes. 
     
     
       16. The anodic structure of  claim 2 , wherein the insulative separator layer comprises one of a polymer or a mesoporous carbon layer. 
     
     
       17. The anodic structure of  claim 2 , wherein the insulative separator layer comprises a polymerized carbon layer formed by further processing a portion of the mesoporous carbon layer. 
     
     
       18. The anodic structure of  claim 17 , wherein the insulative separator layer further comprises a dielectric layer. 
     
     
       19. The anodic structure of  claim 2 , wherein the mesoporous carbon layer comprises carbon fullerene onions interconnected with carbon nano-tubes. 
     
     
       20. The anodic structure of  claim 6 , wherein the insulative separator layer comprises one of a polymer or a mesoporous carbon layer. 
     
     
       21. The anodic structure of  claim 6 , wherein the insulative separator layer comprises a polymerized carbon layer formed by further processing a portion of the mesoporous carbon layer. 
     
     
       22. The anodic structure of  claim 21 , wherein the insulative separator layer further comprises a dielectric layer. 
     
     
       23. The anodic structure of  claim 8 , wherein the insulative separator layer comprises one of a polymer or a mesoporous carbon layer. 
     
     
       24. The anodic structure of  claim 8 , wherein the insulative separator layer comprises a polymerized carbon layer formed by further processing a portion of the mesoporous carbon layer. 
     
     
       25. The anodic structure of  claim 24 , wherein the insulative separator layer further comprises a dielectric layer.